Background

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work is carried out through a network of advisors and specialists located at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, to ensure that local knowledge and context specific expertise is linked to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP provides its policy advisory and programme support functions through the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains, in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan. Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan and works closely with the Crisis Bureau (CB) that has the responsibility to guide and implement UNDP’s corporate crisis-related strategies and vision for crisis prevention, response and recovery.

UNDP’s Nature, Climate and Energy (NCE) Team as part of the Global Policy Network, supports countries to promote and scale up integrated whole-of-governance approaches and nature-based solutions that reduce poverty and inequalities, strengthen livelihoods and inclusive growth, mitigate conflict, forced migration and displacement, and promote more resilient governance systems that advance linked peace and security agendas. The NCE Team works with governments, civil society, and private sector partners to integrate natural capital, environment and climate concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive growth policies; supports country obligations under Multilateral Environmental Agreements; and implements the UN’s largest portfolio of in-country programming on environment, climate change, and energy.  

To complement and coalesce these efforts, in 2019 UNDP launched the “Climate Promise” an ambitious commitment to support at least 100 countries to define and strengthen their national climate pledges under the Paris Agreement, or Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in an effort to raise ambition globally.  At present, the Climate Promise supports 120 countries, including 27 countries from the Asia and Pacific region. In its second phase (2022 – 2027) the Climate Promise will scale up?support?in?at least?100 countries to use their NDCs as sovereign plans for investment in key engines of sustainable development - such as energy, water, nature-based solutions, forests, agriculture, transportation, and green economy.  With a focus on NDC implementation, UNDP will continue to ensure inclusive climate action at the speed and scale required to keep global temperature below 1.5 degrees Celsius. The second phase of the Climate Promise will serve as an umbrella initiative to bring together the diverse portfolio of programmes and projects, that help act against climate disaster while seeking the most efficient climate solutions that advance multiple Sustainable Development Goals at once.

One of the flagship initiatives under this umbrella, and a key service offer of UNDP, is responding to the urgent need for action to harness the land use and agriculture sectors’ potential for climate change mitigation and adaptation, aligned to countries’ national climate pledges. UNDP launched the Support Programme on Scaling up Climate Ambition on Land Use and Agriculture through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) (SCALA). This German Ministry of Environment (BMU)-funded Programme will be implemented between 2020 and 2025 and is designed to assist countries to translate their NDCs and/or NAPs into actionable and transformative climate solutions in land use and agriculture with multi-stakeholder engagement. This Programme is a joint effort of UNDP and FAO and a follow up of the BMU-funded Integrating agriculture into NAPs Programme (NAP-Ag). It will work across 12 countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa. A key outcome of the programme is to increase private sector engagement and investment to support the achievement of NDCs and NAPs.

Within this overall context, UNDP is recruiting of a Regional Coordinator to support countries across the Asia and Pacific region.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the Global Coordinator for the Climate Promise and matrixed to the UNDP Technical Specialist on NAP (in charge of SCALA programme coordination), the Regional Coordinator will responsible for supporting regional coordination of the Climate Promise in the Asia Pacific region, and specifically providing technical assistance on Asian countries under the SCALA programme.  The Regional. Coordinator will work closely with Regional Team Leader and consult regularly on priorities for the region including on collaboration with other GPN teams in Bangkok.

Under the Climate Promise, which will be 50% of the role, the incumbent will:

• Track progress on the Climate Promise at the regional level in Asia Pacific, including keeping regional and global focal points informed of national-level progress and liaising with country coordinators. 
• Report status of Climate Promise progress in the Asia Pacific region on a regular basis, based on information tracked across the region and communication with country coordinators and CO focal points.
• Facilitate and provide quality assurance for planning and implementation of country workplans, as needed
• Provide quality assurance for support to countries in the region through the roll out of the Promise, as needed, to ensure an integrated service offer is provided to support countries.
• Provide support on documentation and communication of results under the Climate Promise in the Asia Pacific region. 

Under SCALA, which will be 50% of the role, the incumbent will:

• Provide technical assistance to Asian Country Offices on programme implementation;
• Liaise with the partner agency, FAO, on programmatic and operational matters pertaining to Asian countries;
• Liaise with government agencies, private sector actors and other external partners as needed to support delivery of Programme activities in Asia;
• Propose regional exchange, technical assistance and resource mobilization activities in Asia;
• Lead the preparation of reports and knowledge products related to Asia;
• Ensure quality control and timely delivery of all deliverables in Asia;
• Ensure synergies with other strategic climate and development processes in Asia, including the NDC support and other IKI programmes;
• Act as a focal point on gender mainstreaming and social inclusion for the SCALA programme.
• Support coordination of delivery of thematic and sectoral technical assistance with the UNDP regional hubs, UN sister agencies, international partnerships, and other stakeholders;
• In select countries, act as country coordinator to provide backstopping support to UNDP country offices on implementation and minoring of Climate Promise activities and targeted technical assistance and advisory services to countries (governments) on NDC revision and implementation, as needed
• Contribute to knowledge management and learning by developing knowledge products (e.g., technical guidance, tools) and communications pieces (e.g., articles on successes and lessons learned) focused on the Asia Pacific region
• Contribute to webinars and events to strengthen capacity of and share experiences among Climate Promise countries while making clear connections and synergies with sister programmes such as SCALA.
• Provide technical input for briefings and speeches for high-level UNDP officials.

Institutional Arrangement

• The incumbent will work from the Bangkok Regional Hub;
• The incumbent will report to and be directly supervised by the Global Coordinator for the Climate Promise but will be matrixed to the Technical Specialist on National Adaptation Plans.
• The incumbent will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment;
• Given the global consultations to be undertaken during this assignment, the incumbent is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability for such consultations taking into consideration different time zones.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

• Innovation – Ability to make new and useful ideas work
• Leadership – Ability to persuade others to follow
• People Management – Ability to improve performance and satisfaction
• Communication – Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform
• Delivery – Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement

Required Skills and Experience

Travel:   

a) UNDP will cover the cost of travel of the individual to the duty station, as well as their return to their home upon completion of their services. Travel costs are covered only in the event that the function will be undertaken physically in the duty station and excludes working from home arrangements.

b) Potential travel to one or more of the 12 programme countries might be expected should the COVID 19 situation allow.

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

1. Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.
2. A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.
3. Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as  reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.

Note: The above documents need to be scanned in one file and uploaded to the online application as one document.